Primers Like Tatcha's Silk Canvas That Cost Under $30
13 Primers To Buy If You Love Tatcha's Silk Canvas — All Under $30
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Don't get us wrong: there's a reason the masterpiece that is Tatcha's Silk Canvas Primer is a big bestseller. The skin-blurring step smooths over blemishes, dimples, and redness so well that we'd weep if the tears wouldn't ruin our makeup. The only rub? The $52 price tag can take a large chunk out of your cosmetics spending bank. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable options out there to save your face from melting in this humid and sweaty world. Read on to see our favourites that cost fewer than $30 — so you may be able to swing purchasing two.
Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15
There's a reason your mom loves Clinique so much: this beauty counter staple brand has a wide range of bases that work well to hide dark spots, hyperpigmentation, wine face, or an uneven skin tone. Specifically, the Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15 ($24) is an oil-free, colour-correcting green formula that blends in well to hide imperfections while locking on your topcoat of foundation.
Mehron Skin Prep
If Mehron Skin Prep ($13) is good enough to be used as a precursor to stage makeup, it will last through your commute.
Essence Fresh & Fit Awake Primer
Cranberry isn't just the sweet-smelling fruit that makes you reach for seconds on Thanksgiving — it's also packed with antioxidants that fight the appearance of inflamed skin. Enter Essence Fresh & Fit Awake Primer ($6), which costs less than a can of sauce. This brightening mix of vitamins and cranberry water will make you look more awake.
Milani Make It Last Setting Spray Prime + Correct + Set
Get yourself a mist that can both prime and set your makeup with this Make It Last Setting Spray Prime + Correct + Set ($10) from Milani. Not only will this tried-and-true drugstore favourite last all day (and night, according to our editor who put it through the old sex test), but it also keeps your makeup matte while feeling like a refreshing drink of water on your skin.
Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother
This plush, velvety Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother ($23) from Shiseido is perhaps the closest on this list that mirrors Tatcha's uberdecadent option. You'll want to submerge your body in a whole tub of it — which actually wouldn't be such a bad idea, as this primer can also cover old burns, scars, and body acne.
NYX Honey Dew Me Up Skin Serum & Primer
Call it the bee's knees: this Honey Dew Me Up Skin Serum & Primer ($17) is made with the actual sticky stuff. Turns out, honey doesn't just exist to make baklava delicious — it also contains vitamins and minerals to moisturise and balance your skin's pH.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer
If oily eyelids are keeping you from wearing the glitter shadow of your dreams, prep them with Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer ($26). It will instantly mattify the delicate skin, ensuring the glitter stays up there rather than down your cheekbone.
Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer
Huh, funny — sitting in that sheet mask for 15 minutes did not, actually, get rid of your problem pimple. Before you resort to popping, try Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer ($18). This K-beauty formula smoothes over cracks and creases, leaving your face a clear tableau for makeup that's worthy of a Michelangelo.
MAC Prep & Prime Fix + Makeup Setting Spray
If you've got dry skin, it's understandable that you might not want to fill your thirsty pores with a heavy, moisture-sucking primer. That's why the OG MAC Prep & Prime Fix + Makeup Setting Spray ($26) makes a great, fresh-feeling alternative.
Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner Cream
Oily T-zones are no match for the sweat-stopping Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner Cream ($20), which can last through an entire 2000s throwback night one POPSUGAR beauty editor frequents with absolutely zero shame. (Backstreet's back, alright?!?!)
Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer
Blackheads on your nose? No one will ever know if you slather on this Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer ($7), which works well to spot-erase small problem areas like your aforementioned schnoz, chin, or forehead.
Ciaté London Dewy Spritz
This one goes out to all the mattephobes out there. Just because you're using a primer doesn't mean it can't leave you a little (purposefully) shiny. This Ciaté London Dewy Spritz ($25) will ensure that your cat eye doesn't end up lining your cheekbones, while giving you a dewy flush. Word to the wise: this formula sprays out with the water pressure of a Super Soaker, so hold it an arm's length away from your face.
Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer
This Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer ($25) never leaves one POPSUGAR beauty editor's side when she's on her period. Why? When hormones are making your face mutiny against you, this high-coverage prep step works to coat over everything you want to hide.
